Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts

By now, anyone who’s stepped foot on N Broad in Center City will likely have noticed a very big addition to the streetscape. I’m talking about Paint Torch, the 51-foot sculpture of a paintbrush, jutting onto Broad from the center of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts’ soon-to-be open Lenfest Plaza. Megan and I were on hand at the installation on Saturday, August 20, along with staff and supporters of PAFA, sculptor Claes Oldenburg himself, plenty of journalists and dozens of Philly onlookers. The installation took most of the day and caused lots of well-deserved rubbernecking from passersby. Luckily the rain held off and we were able to see first-hand how impressive the new public art work really is, and just how difficult of a construction project it is to place a sculpture as large as Paint Torch.Lifting the bristles into place. Photo by Sean Tucker, courtesy of PAFA.Read more »